Image management system, image management method, and computer program product

ABSTRACT

The present invention is concerning to an image management system that communicates with a first communication terminal via a communication network, the image management system comprising: an image storage unit configured to store image data; a receiving unit configured to receive, from the first communication terminal, link information that includes image identification information for identifying the image data and includes predetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area in the image data; and a transmitting unit configured to transmit, to the first communication terminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identification information included in the link information received by the receiving unit and the predetermined-area information included in the link information.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to and incorporates by referencethe entire contents of Japanese Patent Application No. 2012-288475 filedin Japan on Dec. 28, 2012.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a communication with a predeterminedcommunication terminal via a communication network.

2. Description of the Related Art

Recently, systems have been provided to share the same image withmultiple users, where the image data captured by a digital camera, orthe like, is uploaded by a user into a server on the Internet and theimage data is downloaded from the server by another user (see JapanesePatent Application Laid-open No. 2011-120201).

For example, if another user downloads the image data illustrated inFIG. 28, a display 315 of a communication terminal 3, such as asmartphone, first displays the image of a predetermined area in theimage data by default, as illustrated in FIG. 29. When the user touchesthe display 315 with the user's finger to operate it, the image data forrepresenting the whole can be displayed as illustrated in FIG. 28.

However, according to a default setting, the predetermined-area imageillustrated in FIG. 29 is generally a local image around the center ofthe composition that is obtained when captured by a digital camera, orthe like; therefore, a problem occurs in that a user who uploads theimage may not always be able to initially show to another user the localimage to which the user pays attention or which is a recommended sight.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to at least partially solve theproblems in the conventional technology.

According to the present invention, there is provided: an imagemanagement system that communicates with a first communication terminalvia a communication network, the image management system comprising: animage storage unit configured to store image data; a receiving unitconfigured to receive, from the first communication terminal, linkinformation that includes image identification information foridentifying the image data and predetermined-area information thatindicates a predetermined area in the image data; and a transmittingunit configured to transmit, to the first communication terminal, theimage data that is indicated by the image identification informationincluded in the link information received by the receiving unit and thepredetermined-area information included in the link information.

The present invention also provides an image management method performedby an image management system that includes an image storage unit thatstores image data and that communicates with a first communicationterminal via a communication network, the image management methodcomprising: receiving, from the first communication terminal, linkinformation that includes image identification information foridentifying the image data and predetermined-area information thatindicates a predetermined area in the image data; reading the image datafrom the image storage unit on the basis of the image identificationinformation included in the link information received at the receiving;and transmitting, to the first communication terminal, the image dataread at the reading and the predetermined-area information included inthe link information received at the receiving.

The present invention also provides a computer program productcomprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium that contains acomputer program that, when executed by a computer, cause the computerto perform operations comprising: receiving, from the firstcommunication terminal, link information that includes imageidentification information for identifying the image data andpredetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area inthe image data; reading the image data from the image storage unit onthe basis of the image identification information included in the linkinformation received at the receiving; and transmitting, to the firstcommunication terminal, the image data read at the reading and thepredetermined-area information included in the link information receivedat the receiving.

The above and other objects, features, advantages and technical andindustrial significance of this invention will be better understood byreading the following detailed description of presently preferredembodiments of the invention, when considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an image sharing system according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2(a) is a left side view of a capturing device, FIG. 2(b) is afront view of the capturing device, and FIG. 2(c) is a plan view of thecapturing device;

FIG. 3 is a diagram that illustrates an image illustrating how thecapturing device is used;

FIG. 4(a) is a diagram that illustrates the hemispheric image (thefront) captured by the capturing device, FIG. 4(b) is a diagram thatillustrates the hemispheric image (the back) captured by the capturingdevice, and FIG. 4(c) is a diagram that illustrates the imagerepresented by using the Mercator projection;

FIG. 5(a) is a diagram that illustrates the image represented by usingthe Mercator projection and the area of a shared selection image, andFIG. 5(b) is a diagram that illustrates the shared selection image;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a captured-image selection list that presentsshared selection images;

FIG. 7 is a diagram that schematically illustrates a process to post andacquire image data;

FIG. 8 is a diagram that illustrates a fully-spherical panoramic image;

FIG. 9 is a diagram that illustrates a virtual camera and the locationof a predetermined area in a case where the fully-spherical panoramicimage is a three-dimensional solid sphere;

FIG. 10(a) is a three-dimensional perspective view of FIG. 9, and FIG.10(b) is a diagram that illustrates a communication terminal where apredetermined-area image is presented on a display;

FIG. 11 is a diagram that illustrates the communication terminal where apredetermined-area image is presented on a display;

FIG. 12 is a diagram that illustrates the relation betweenpredetermined-area information and a predetermined-area image;

FIG. 13 is a diagram that illustrates the details of link information;

FIG. 14 is a diagram that illustrates a posting-view screen;

FIG. 15 is a hardware configuration diagram of the capturing device;

FIG. 16 is a hardware configuration diagram of the communicationterminal;

FIG. 17 is a hardware configuration diagram of an image managementsystem or a link-information management system;

FIG. 18 is a functional block diagram of the communication terminal, theimage management system, and the link-information management systemaccording to the embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates an image managementtable;

FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates a thumbnail managementtable;

FIG. 21 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates a user managementtable;

FIG. 22 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates a related-personmanagement table;

FIG. 23 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates a posted-datamanagement table;

FIG. 24 is a sequence diagram that illustrates a process to upload imagedata;

FIG. 25 is a sequence diagram that illustrates a process to generate andupload a thumbnail;

FIG. 26 is a sequence diagram that illustrates a process to upload athumbnail and link information;

FIG. 27 is a sequence diagram that illustrates a process to downloadimage data;

FIG. 28 is a diagram that illustrates a captured image; and

FIG. 29 is a diagram that illustrates a partial image of the capturedimage that is presented on the display of the communication terminal.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are explained in detailbelow with reference to FIGS. 1 to 27.

Outline of the Embodiment

First, an explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14, of theoutline of the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of animage sharing system according to the present embodiment.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the image sharing system according to thepresent embodiment is configured by using a capturing device 1, aplurality of communication terminals (3 a, 3 b), an image managementsystem 5, and a link-information management system 7. Furthermore, thecommunication terminals (3 a, 3 b) are used by users (A, B),respectively. In an example illustrated in the present embodiment, thecapturing device 1 is operated by the user A. In the following, anycommunication terminal out of the communication terminals (3 a, 3 b) isrepresented as the “communication terminal 3”.

Furthermore, the capturing device 1 is a digital camera that capturesfully-spherical panoramic images or omnidirectional images. Thecapturing device 1 may be a generally-used digital camera or, if acamera is installed on the communication terminal 3, the communicationterminal 3 may be a digital camera. In the present embodiment, in orderto facilitate explanations, an explanation is given by using a digitalcamera that captures fully-spherical panoramic images or omnidirectionalimages. The communication terminal 3 is a computer, such as asmartphone, tablet terminal, notebook PC, desktop PC, or Personal DataAssistance (PDA). Furthermore, the image management system 5 and thelink-information management system 7 are the server computers.

The capturing device 1 is capable of communicating with thecommunication terminal 3 by using a short-range wireless technology inaccordance with a Near Field Communication (NFC) standard, BlueTooth(registered trademark), Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), or the like.Furthermore, the communication terminal 3 is capable of communicatingwith the image management system 5 and the link-information managementsystem 7 via a communication network 9. The communication network 9 isconfigured by using a radio communication network, such as 3rdGeneration (3G), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access(WiMAX), or Long Term Evolution (LTE), base stations (9 a, 9 b), and theInternet. A wire communication may be performed between the capturingdevice 1 and the communication terminal 3 and between the communicationterminal 3 and the communication network 9.

A communication terminal 3 a is an example of a second communicationterminal, and a communication terminal 3 b is an example of a firstcommunication terminal.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), and2(c), of the external of the capturing device 1. FIG. 2(a) is a leftside view of the capturing device, FIG. 2(b) is a front view of thecapturing device, and FIG. 2(c) is a plan view of the capturing device.

As illustrated in FIG. 2(a), the capturing device 1 has a size such thata person is able to hold it with one hand of the person. Furthermore, asillustrated in FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c), an imaging element 103 a isprovided on the front side (the anterior side) of the upper section ofthe capturing device 1, and an imaging element 103 b is provided on theback side (the rear side) thereof. Moreover, as illustrated in FIG.2(b), an operating unit 115, such as a shutter button, is provided onthe front side of the capturing device 1.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 3, of thesituation where the capturing device 1 is used. FIG. 3 is a diagram thatillustrates an image illustrating how the capturing device is used. Asillustrated in FIG. 3, the capturing device 1 is held by a user's handand is used to capture objects around the user. In this case, objectsaround the user are captured by the imaging element 103 a and theimaging element 103 b that are illustrated in FIGS. 2(a), 2(b), and2(c), whereby two hemispheric images can be obtained.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 4(a), 4(b), and4(c), of the images captured by the capturing device 1 and the combinedimage. FIG. 4(a) is a diagram that illustrates the hemispheric image(the front) captured by the capturing device, FIG. 4(b) is a diagramthat illustrates the hemispheric image (the back) captured by thecapturing device, and FIG. 4(c) is a diagram that illustrates the imagerepresented by using the Mercator projection (hereafter, referred to asa “Mercator image”).

As illustrated in FIG. 4(a), the image captured by the imaging element103 a is the hemispheric image (the front side) that is distorted due toa fish-eye lens 102 a, which will be described later. Furthermore, asillustrated in FIG. 4(b), the image captured by the imaging element 103b is the hemispheric image (the back side) that is distorted due to afish-eye lens 102 b, which will be described later. The hemisphericimage (the front side) and the hemispheric image (the back side) that isreversed 180 degrees are combined by the capturing device 1 so that theMercator image is generated as illustrated in FIG. 4(c).

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 5(a), 5(b), and6, of shared selection image data that is transmitted from the capturingdevice 1 to the communication terminal 3. FIG. 5(a) is a diagram thatillustrates the image represented by using the Mercator projection andthe area of a shared selection image, and FIG. 5(b) is a diagram thatillustrates the shared selection image. Furthermore, FIG. 6 is a diagramof a captured-image selection list that presents shared selectionimages.

As illustrated in FIG. 5(a), the area indicated by a dashed line in theMercator image is used by the capturing device 1 so that the sharedselection image data illustrated in FIG. 5(b) is generated. The sharedselection image data is transmitted from the capturing device 1 to thecommunication terminal 3 a. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a shared imageselection list SL that presents each shared selection image CE isdisplayed on a display 315 of the communication terminal 3 a. Forexample, buildings in a commercial area are displayed as the sharedselection image CE, and the time and date (Sep. 20, 2011, 11:21) thatthe original image (the captured image illustrated in FIG. 5(a)) of theshared selection image CE is captured is displayed.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 6 to 14, of theoutline of a process to post and acquire image data according to thepresent embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram of a captured-image selectionlist that presents shared selection images. Furthermore, FIG. 7 is adiagram that illustrates a process to post and acquire image data.

First, when the user A selects the desired shared selection image CEillustrated in FIG. 6, the communication terminal 3 a acquires, from thecapturing device 1, the original image (the captured image) that isrelated to the above selected shared selection image CE (Step S1 in FIG.7). Open Graphics Library for Embedded Systems (OpenGL ES) is used inthe communication terminal 3 a so that the fully-spherical panoramicimage illustrated in FIG. 8 is generated from the captured image (theMercator image) illustrated in FIG. 5(a) (Step S2 in FIG. 7). OpenGL ESis a graphics library that is used for visualizing two-dimensional (2D)and three-dimensional (3D) data. FIG. 8 is a diagram that illustratesthe fully-spherical panoramic image. The fully-spherical panoramic imagemay be a still image or moving image. For example, the Mercator imageillustrated in FIG. 5(a) is attached to a solid sphere so that thefully-spherical panoramic image illustrated in FIG. 8 is generated.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 7, 9, 10(a), and10(b), of a process to generate and display an image at a predeterminedarea (hereafter, referred to as a “predetermined-area image”) of afully-spherical panoramic image. FIG. 9 is a diagram that illustrates avirtual camera and the location of a predetermined area in a case wherea fully-spherical panoramic image is a three-dimensional solid sphere.The virtual camera corresponds to the viewing location of the user whosees the fully-spherical panoramic image that is displayed as athree-dimensional solid sphere. Furthermore, FIG. 10(a) is athree-dimensional perspective view of FIG. 9, and FIG. 10(b) is adiagram that illustrates a communication terminal where apredetermined-area image is presented on the display.

The fully-spherical panoramic image illustrated in FIG. 8 is illustratedas a three-dimensional solid sphere CS. If the solid sphere CS of thefully-spherical panoramic image is generated as illustrated, a virtualcamera IC is located at the center of the fully-spherical panoramicimage and can rotate about three axes, i.e., rotate from side to sideand up and down about the center and rotate (roll) with respect to thepoint of view from the center, as illustrated in FIG. 9. A predeterminedarea T of the fully-spherical panoramic image can be determined by usingpredetermined-area information on the location of the virtual camera ICon the fully-spherical panoramic image. The predetermined-areainformation is represented by using the x-coordinate (rH), they-coordinate (rV), and the angle of view α (angle). Thus, the zoom forthe predetermined area T can be achieved by enlarging or reducing therange of the angle of view α (the circular arc).

The image at the predetermined area T of the fully-spherical panoramicimage illustrated in FIG. 10(a) is displayed as a predetermined-areaimage on the display 315 of the communication terminal 3 a asillustrated in FIG. 10(b). In this case, the predetermined-area image isa partial image P₀ that represents part of the fully-spherical panoramicimage. The partial image P₀ is the image that is presented by using thepredetermined-area information (x, y, α)=(0, 0, 34) that is set bydefault with respect to the fully-spherical panoramic image illustratedin FIG. 8.

On the display 315 is displayed a predetermined-area image displayregion 3110 that displays a predetermined-area image, a thumbnaildisplay region 3120 that displays the thumbnail of a predetermined-areaimage, and a comment display region 3130 that displays a user's comment.

Next, if the user A desires to display, on the display 315, thepredetermined-area image to which the user A pays attention, and if thecommunication terminal 3 a enables an operation via a touch panel, theuser A moves the user's finger in contact with the display 315vertically and horizontally, whereby the desired predetermined-areaimage illustrated in FIG. 11 is displayed. Furthermore, if thecommunication terminal 3 a is a personal computer, or the like, the userA performs an input operation by using a mouse, or the like, so as tomove it vertically and horizontally, whereby the desiredpredetermined-area image illustrated in FIG. 11 can be displayed. Inthis case, the predetermined-area image is a partial image P₁ thatillustrates part of the fully-spherical panoramic image.

Here, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 12, of therelation between predetermined-area information and a predetermined-areaimage. FIG. 12 is a diagram that illustrates the relation betweenpredetermined-area information and a predetermined-area image.

As illustrated in FIG. 12, in the case of the diagonal angle of view 2Lof the predetermined area T that is defined by the angle of view α ofthe virtual camera IC, a center point CP is the parameters (x, y) of thepredetermined-area information. In the present embodiment, if the user Atouches the display 315 with the user's finger to operate it so that thepredetermined-area image (the partial image P₁) is displayed asillustrated in FIG. 11, the predetermined-area information (x, y, α) is,for example, (230, 439, 35).

Furthermore, f is the distance from the virtual camera IC to the centerpoint CP. The trigonometric function generally defined by the followingEquation (1) is provided in FIG. 12.Lf=tan(α/2)  (1)

Next, as illustrated in FIG. 7, after the communication terminal 3 atransmits the image data to the image management system 5 via thecommunication network 9, the communication terminal 3 a also transmitsthe predetermined-area information (Step S3). The image data is theimage data on the Mercator image illustrated in FIG. 4(c), and thepredetermined-area information is the predetermined-area information(230, 439, 35) that indicates the predetermined-area image (the partialimage P₁) illustrated in FIG. 11. Thus, the image management system 5assigns, to the image data, the image ID (identification) foridentifying the image data and also relates the image data to the imageID for management (Step S4). Furthermore, the image management system 5generates link information (Step S4). As illustrated in FIG. 13, thelink information includes the URL of the image management system 5, theimage ID, and the predetermined-area information. Moreover, the imagemanagement system 5 generates thumbnail data of the image data (StepS4). The URL is an example of specific information.

The image management system 5 then transmits the link information andthe thumbnail data to the link-information management system 7 (StepS5). Accordingly, the link-information management system 7 manages thelink information and the thumbnail data (Step S6).

When the communication terminal 3 b of the user B connects to thelink-information management system 7 and requests display ofcorresponding image data, the link-information management system 7transmits the link information to the communication terminal 3 b of theuser B (Step S7).

In this case, the communication terminal 3 b displays a posting-viewscreen 3200 illustrated in FIG. 14. The posting-view screen 3200displays a user image 3210 that represents the appearance of the user A,a user name 3220 of the user A, a thumbnail 3230 of the image data, anda comment 3240 from the user A. Specifically, the thumbnail 3230 is animage obtained by reducing the size of the predetermined-area image (thepartial image P₁) illustrated in FIG. 11 and is not the image obtainedby reducing the size of the predetermined-area image (the partial imageP₀) illustrated in FIG. 10(b). Thus, the user B can view the thumbnailof the desired predetermined-area image (the partial image P₁) to whichthe user A pays attention or which is a recommended sight.

Next, the user B operates the communication terminal 3 b so as to selecta thumbnail, and then the communication terminal 3 b transmits the linkinformation to the image management system 5 (Step S8). Accordingly, theimage management system 5 transmits, to the communication terminal 3 b,the image data related to the image ID that is extracted from the linkinformation and transmits the predetermined-area information that isextracted from the link information (Step S9). With respect to the imagedata, the communication terminal 3 b then performs an operation toidentify an area in the image data by using the predetermined-areainformation. Thus, the communication terminal 3 b displays thepredetermined-area image (the partial image P₁) illustrated in FIG. 11instead of the predetermined-area image (the partial image P₀)illustrated in FIG. 10(b).

As described above, the communication terminal 3 b downloads a capturedimage; however, this is not a limitation and the communication terminal3 a may download a captured image.

Hardware Configuration According to the Embodiment

Next, a detailed explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17,of hardware configurations of the capturing device, the communicationterminal, the image management system, and the link-informationmanagement system according to the present embodiment.

First, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 15, of a hardwareconfiguration of the capturing device 1. FIG. 15 is a hardwareconfiguration diagram of the capturing device. In the following, thecapturing device 1 is an omnidirectional capturing device that uses twoimaging elements; however, three or more imaging elements may be used.Furthermore, the device does not necessarily need to be dedicated toomnidirectional capturing; therefore, an omnidirectional capturing unitmay be additionally attached to a commonly used digital camera,smartphone, or the like, so that the device has substantially the samefunctionality as the capturing device 1.

As illustrated in FIG. 15, the capturing device 1 includes a capturingunit 101, an image processing unit 104, a capturing control unit 105, acentral processing unit (CPU) 111, a read only memory (ROM) 112, astatic random access memory (SRAM) 113, a dynamic random access memory(DRAM) 114, an operating unit 115, a network I/F 116, a communicationunit 117, an antenna 117 a, and an electronic compass 118.

Furthermore, the capturing unit 101 includes wide-angle lenses (what arecalled fish-eye lenses) 102 a and 102 b that have an angle of view ofequal to or greater than 180° so as to form a hemispheric image andincludes the two imaging elements 103 a and 103 b that are provided inrelation to the wide-angle lenses. The imaging elements 103 a and 103 binclude an image sensor, such as a complementary metal oxidesemiconductor (CMOS) sensor or charge coupled device (CCD) sensor, thatconverts an optical image formed by the fish-eye lens into image datausing an electric signal for output; a timing generation circuit thatgenerates horizontal or vertical synchronization signals for the imagesensor, pixel clocks, or the like; a group of registers in which variouscommands, parameters, or the like, necessary for operations of theimaging element are set; and the like.

Each of the imaging elements 103 a and 103 b of the capturing unit 101is connected to the image processing unit 104 via a parallel I/F bus.Furthermore, the imaging elements 103 a and 103 b of the capturing unit101 are connected to the capturing control unit 105 via a serial I/F bus(an I2C bus, or the like). The image processing unit 104 and thecapturing control unit 105 are connected to the CPU 111 via a bus 110.Furthermore, the ROM 112, the SRAM 113, the DRAM 114, the operating unit115, the network I/F 116, the communication unit 117, an electroniccompass 118, and the like, are connected to the bus 110.

The image processing unit 104 acquires the image data that is outputfrom the imaging elements 103 a and 103 b via the parallel I/F bus,performs a predetermined operation on the image data, and performs anoperation to combine the image data so as to generate data on theMercator image illustrated in FIG. 4(c).

Generally, the capturing control unit 105 uses the capturing controlunit 105 as a master device and the imaging elements 103 a and 103 b asslave devices and uses the I2C bus to set commands, or the like, in thegroup of registers in the imaging elements 103 a and 103 b. Necessarycommands, and the like, are received from the CPU 111. Furthermore, thecapturing control unit 105 also uses the I2C bus to acquire status data,and the like, from the group of registers in the imaging elements 103 aand 103 b and feeds it to the CPU 111.

Moreover, the capturing control unit 105 instructs the imaging elements103 a and 103 b to output image data when the shutter button of theoperating unit 115 is pressed. In some cases, the capturing device has apreview function or a function that supports a movie display by using adisplay. In this case, image data is continuously output from theimaging elements 103 a and 103 b at a predetermined frame rate(frame/minute).

Furthermore, as described below, the capturing control unit 105 alsofunctions as a synchronization control unit that synchronizes the imagedata output timings of the imaging elements 103 a and 103 b incooperation with the CPU 111. In the present embodiment, a display unitis not provided in the capturing device; however, a display unit may beprovided.

The CPU 111 controls the overall operation of the capturing device 1 andperforms necessary operations. The ROM 112 stores various programs forthe CPU 111. The SRAM 113 and the DRAM 114 are working memories thatstore a program executed by the CPU 111, data that is being processed,and the like. Especially, the DRAM 114 stores the image data that isbeing processed by the image processing unit 104 or the data on theprocessed Mercator image.

The operating unit 115 is a generic term for various operation buttons,the power switch, the shutter button, the touch panel that has bothdisplay and operation functions, and the like. Users operate anoperation button so as to input various capturing modes, capturingconditions, and the like.

The network I/F 116 is a generic term for interface circuits (a USB I/F,and the like) for external media, such as an SD card, a personalcomputer, or the like. Furthermore, in some cases, it is possible thatthe network I/F 116 is a network interface regardless of whether it iswireless or wired. Data on a Mercator image stored in the DRAM 114 isrecorded in an external medium via the network I/F 116 or, if needed, istransmitted to an external device, such as the communication terminal 3,via the network I/F 116 that is a network I/F.

The communication unit 117 communicates with an external device, such asthe communication terminal 3, via the antenna 117 a installed in thecapturing device 1 by using a short-range wireless technology, such asWireless Fidelity (WiFi) or NFC. The communication unit 117 is alsocapable of transmitting Mercator image data to an external device, suchas the communication terminal 3.

The electronic compass 118 calculates the orientation and the tilt (theroll angle) of the capturing device 1 by using the earth magnetism andoutputs the orientation/tilt information. The orientation/tiltinformation is an example of metadata in accordance with Exif and isused for image processing, such as image correction, on a capturedimage. The metadata includes various types of data, such as a thumbnailof image data, the capturing time and date of an image, or the datavolume of image data.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 16, of a hardwareconfiguration of the communication terminal 3. FIG. 16 is a hardwareconfiguration diagram in a case where the communication terminal is asmartphone.

As illustrated in FIG. 16, the communication terminal 3 includes a CPU301 that controls the overall operation of the communication terminal 3;a ROM 302 that stores basic input/output programs; a random accessmemory (RAM) 303 that is used as a work area for the CPU 301; anelectrically erasable and programmable ROM (EEPROM) 304 that performsreading or writing of data under the control of the CPU 301; a CMOSsensor 305 that is an imaging element that captures an object andacquires the image data under the control of the CPU 301; anelectromagnetic compass or gyrocompass that detects the earth magnetism;various acceleration/orientation sensors 306, such as an accelerationsensor; and a medium drive 308 that controls reading or writing(storing) of data from or to a recording medium 307, such as a flashmemory. The recording medium 307 is configured to be installed orremoved, and the already recorded data is read from or new data iswritten and stored in the recording medium 307 under the control of themedium drive 308.

The EEPROM 304 stores the operating system (OS) executed by the CPU 301,other programs, and various types of data. Furthermore, a CCD sensor maybe used instead of the CMOS sensor 305.

The communication terminal 3 further includes a sound input unit 311that converts sound into a sound signal; a sound output unit 312 thatconverts a sound signal into sound; an antenna 313 a; a communicationunit 313 that communicates with the nearest base station 9 a, or thelike, on the basis of a wireless communication signal by using theantenna 313 a; a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiving unit 314 thatreceives a GPS signal including the positional information (thelatitude, longitude, and altitude) on the communication terminal 3 byusing a GPS satellite or Indoor MEssaging System that is an indoor GPS;the display 315 that is a liquid crystal display, organic EL display, orthe like, that displays the image of an object, various icons, and thelike; a touch panel 316 that is mounted on the display 315 and is madeup of a pressure-sensitive or static panel so as to detect the touchlocation on the display 315 that is touched by a finger, stylus, or thelike; and a bus line 310, such as an address bus or data bus, thatelectrically connects the above-described units.

The sound input unit 311 includes a microphone that inputs sound, andthe sound output unit 312 includes a speaker that outputs sound.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 17, of a hardwareconfiguration of the image management system 5 and the link-informationmanagement system 7. FIG. 17 is a hardware configuration diagram of theimage management system 5 or the link-information management system 7.The image management system 5 and the link-information management system7 are generally-used server computers; therefore, the configuration ofthe image management system 5 is explained below, and an explanation ofthe configuration of the link-information management system 7 isomitted.

The image management system 5 includes a CPU 501 that controls theoverall operation of the image management system 5; a ROM 502 thatstores programs, such as IPL, that are used for driving the CPU 501; aRAM 503 that is used as a work area for the CPU 501; an HD 504 thatstores various types of data, such as programs for the image managementsystem 5; a hard disk drive (HDD) 505 that controls reading or writingof various types of data from or to the HD 504 under the control of theCPU 501; a medium drive 507 that controls reading or writing (storing)of data from or to a recording medium 506, such as a flash memory; adisplay 508 that displays various types of information, such as acursor, menus, windows, characters, or images; a network I/F 509 that isused for data communication via the communication network 9; a keyboard511 that includes a plurality of keys to input characters, numbers,various instructions, or the like; a mouse 512 that selects or executesvarious instructions, select an object to be processed, moves thecursor, or the like; a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory) drive 514that controls reading or writing of various types of data from or to aCD-ROM 513 that is an example of a removable recording medium; and a busline 510, such as an address bus or data bus, that electrically connectsthe above-described components as illustrated in FIG. 17.

Functional Configuration According to the Embodiment

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 18, of afunctional configuration according to the present embodiment. FIG. 18 isa functional block diagram of the communication terminal 3, the imagemanagement system 5, and the link-information management system 7 thatare included in the image sharing system according to the presentembodiment. In FIG. 18, the communication terminal 3, the imagemanagement system 5, and the link-information management system 7 canperform data communication via the communication network 9.

Functional Configuration of the Communication Terminal

As illustrated in FIG. 18, the communication terminal 3 includes atransmitting and receiving unit 31, an operation input receiving unit32, a display control unit 33, and a storage/read unit 39. Each of theunits is a function or means that is implemented when any of thecomponents illustrated in FIG. 15 is operated in accordance with acommand received from the CPU 111 that follows the program for thecommunication terminal 3 that is loaded from the SRAM 113 into the DRAM114.

Furthermore, the communication terminal 3 includes a storage unit 3000that is configured by using the ROM 112, the SRAM 113, and the DRAM 114that are illustrated in FIG. 15.

Each Functional Configuration of the Communication Terminal

Next, a detailed explanation is further given, with reference to FIGS.16 and 18, of each functional configuration of the communicationterminal 3.

The transmitting and receiving unit 31 of the communication terminal 3is principally implemented due to operations of the communication unit313 and the CPU 301 that are illustrated in FIG. 16 so as to transmitand receive various types of data (or information) to and from the imagemanagement system 5 or the link-information management system 7 via thecommunication network 9.

The operation input receiving unit 32 is principally implemented due tooperations of the touch panel 316 and the CPU 301 so as to receivevarious selections or inputs from users.

The display control unit 33 is principally implemented due to anoperation of the CPU 301 so as to perform control to display variousimages, characters, or the like, on the display 315.

The storage/read unit 39 stores various types of data (or information)in the storage unit 3000 or reads various types of data (or information)from the storage unit 3000.

Functional Configuration of Image Management System

Next, a detailed explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 17 and18, of each functional configuration of the image management system 5.The image management system 5 includes a transmitting and receiving unit51, an identification-information assignment unit 52, a thumbnailgeneration unit 53, a link-information generation unit 54, an extractionunit 55, and a storage/read unit 59. Each of the units is a function ormeans that is implemented when any of the components illustrated in FIG.17 is operated in accordance with a command received from the CPU 501that follows the program for the image management system 5 that isloaded from the HD 504 into the RAM 503.

Furthermore, the image management system 5 includes a storage unit 5000that is configured by using the RAM 503 and the HD 504 that areillustrated in FIG. 17. An image management DB 5001 is established inthe storage unit 5000 and is configured by using an image managementtable, which will be described later. Furthermore, a thumbnailmanagement DB 5002 is established in the storage unit 5000 and isconfigured by using a thumbnail management table, which will bedescribed later.

Image Management Table

FIG. 19 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates an image managementtable. In the image management table, user ID for identifying a user,image ID for identifying image data, and the file name of the image dataare stored in relation to one another for management. The user ID is anexample of user identification information for uniquely identifying auser. The user identification information includes a service usagenumber, employee number, student ID number, citizen number based on anational identity numbering system, or the like. The image ID is anexample of image identification information.

Thumbnail Management Table

FIG. 20 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates a thumbnail managementtable. In the thumbnail management table, thumbnail ID for identifying athumbnail, image ID, and the file name of thumbnail data are stored inrelation to one another for management. The thumbnail ID is an exampleof thumbnail identification information.

Each Functional Configuration of Image Management System

Next, a detailed explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 17 and18, of each functional configuration of the image management system 5.

The transmitting and receiving unit 51 of the image management system 5is principally implemented due to operations of the network I/F 509 andthe CPU 501 that are illustrated in FIG. 17 so as to transmit andreceive various types of data (or information) to and from thecommunication terminal 3 or the link-information management system 7 viathe communication network 9.

The identification-information assignment unit 52 is principallyimplemented due to an operation of the CPU 501 that is illustrated inFIG. 17 so as to assign image ID to, for example, the image data on theMercator image received by the transmitting and receiving unit 51 andattach the image ID to the header section of the image data, therebymanaging the image data. Furthermore, the identification-informationassignment unit 52 assigns thumbnail ID to the thumbnail data generatedby the thumbnail generation unit 53 and attaches the thumbnail ID to theheader section of the thumbnail data.

The thumbnail generation unit 53 is principally implemented due to anoperation of the CPU 501 that is illustrated in FIG. 17 so as togenerate thumbnail data from the predetermined area T of the image dataas illustrated in FIGS. 9 to 12 by using the image data that isindicated by the image ID received by the transmitting and receivingunit 51 and by using the predetermined area T that is indicated by thepredetermined-area information received by the transmitting andreceiving unit 51.

The link-information generation unit 54 is principally implemented dueto an operation of the CPU 501 that is illustrated in FIG. 17 so as tolink the URL of the image data indicated by the image ID received by thetransmitting and receiving unit 51, the image ID assigned by theidentification-information assignment unit 52, and thepredetermined-area information received by the transmitting andreceiving unit 51, thereby generating the link information illustratedin FIG. 13.

The extraction unit 55 is principally implemented due to an operation ofthe CPU 501 that is illustrated in FIG. 17 so as to extract the image IDand the predetermined-area information from the link informationreceived by the transmitting and receiving unit 51.

The storage/read unit 59 stores various types of data (or information)in the storage unit 5000 or reads various types of data (or information)from the storage unit 5000.

Functional Configuration of Image Management System

Next, a detailed explanation is given, with reference to FIGS. 17 and18, of a functional configuration of the link-information managementsystem 7. The link-information management system 7 includes atransmitting and receiving unit 71, a posting-view generation unit 72,and a storage/read unit 79. Each of the units is a function or meansthat is implemented when any of the components illustrated in FIG. 17 isoperated in accordance with a command received from the CPU 501 thatfollows the program for the link-information management system 7 that isloaded from the HD 504 into the RAM 503.

Furthermore, the link-information management system 7 includes a storageunit 7000 that is configured by using the RAM 503 and the HD 504 thatare illustrated in FIG. 17. A user management DB 7001, a related-personmanagement DB 7002, and a posted-data management DB 7003 are establishedin the storage unit 7000. The user management DB 7001 is made up of auser management table, which will be described later. The related-personmanagement DB 7002 is made up of a related-person management table. Theposted-data management DB 7003 is made up of a posted-data managementtable.

User Management Table

FIG. 21 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates the user managementtable. In the user management table, user ID, password used for userauthentication, user image indicating the image of a user, and userpersonal information indicating the name of a user, or the like, arerelated for management.

Related-person Management Table

FIG. 22 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates the related-personmanagement table. In the related-person management table, the user ID ofeach registrant (user) is related to the user ID of a person (user)related to the registrant for management. An example of the relatedperson includes the registrant's friend, family, employee of the samecompany, or the like.

Posted-data Management Table

FIG. 23 is a conceptual diagram that illustrates the posted-datamanagement table. In the posted-data management table, each user ID isrelated, for management, to the link information, the file name ofthumbnail data, and the comment posted by the user.

Each Functional Configuration of Image Management System

Next, a detailed explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 18, ofeach functional configuration of the link-information management system7.

The transmitting and receiving unit 71 of the link-informationmanagement system 7 is principally implemented due to operations of thenetwork I/F 509 and the CPU 501 that are illustrated in FIG. 17 so as totransmit and receive various types of data (or information) to and fromthe communication terminal 3 or the image management system 5 via thecommunication network 9.

The posting-view generation unit 72 is principally implemented due to anoperation of the CPU 501 that is illustrated in FIG. 17 so as togenerate the posting view illustrated in FIG. 14 on the basis of theposted-data management table.

The storage/read unit 79 stores various types of data (or information),such as image data, in the storage unit 7000 or reads various types ofdata (or information), such as image data, from the storage unit 7000.

Process or Operation According to the Embodiment

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 24, of a processperformed when the user A uses the communication terminal 3 a to uploadimage data on the captured image illustrated in FIG. 4(c). FIG. 24 is asequence diagram that illustrates a process to upload the image data.

A communication performed among the communication terminal 3, the imagemanagement system 5, and the link-information management system 7 viathe communication network 9 is a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)communication using an HTTP protocol. The communication terminal 3 acorresponds to an HTTP client, and the image management system 5 and thelink-information management system 7 correspond to HTTP servers.

First, the user A imports the image data on the captured imageillustrated in FIG. 4(c) from the capturing device 1 to the storage unit3000 of the communication terminal 3 a. Next, the user A selects theimage data that is to be uploaded, and then the operation inputreceiving unit 32 of the communication terminal 3 a receives a selectionof the image data to be uploaded (Step S11).

The transmitting and receiving unit 31 of the communication terminal 3 athen transmits, to the image management system 5 via the communicationnetwork 9, the user ID of the user A and the image data to be uploaded,thereby requesting the image to be registered (Step S12). Thus, thetransmitting and receiving unit 51 of the image management system 5receives the user ID and the image data.

Next, the identification-information assignment unit 52 of the imagemanagement system 5 assigns the image ID to the image data received atStep S12 and attaches the image ID to the header section of the imagedata (Step S13).

The storage/read unit 59 then stores the user ID and the file name ofthe image data received at Step S12 and the image ID assigned at StepS13 in the image management table (see FIG. 19) in relation to oneanother for management and also stores the image data in the storageunit 5000 for management (Step S14).

The transmitting and receiving unit 51 then transmits the image IDassigned at Step S13 to the communication terminal 3 a via thecommunication network 9 so as to notify that the registration has beencompleted (Step S15). Thus, the transmitting and receiving unit 31 ofthe communication terminal 3 a receives the image ID. The storage/readunit 39 of the communication terminal 3 a stores the image ID formanagement (Step S16). In this situation, if the user A or the user Bdownloads the image data, the display 315 presents thepredetermined-area image (the partial image P₀) illustrated in FIG.10(b); therefore, it is difficult for the user A or the user B toinstantly recognize which image data has been downloaded. Hence, theuser A performs the operation after Step S21, which is described below,whereby the downloaded image data can be easily recognized.

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 25, of a processto generate and upload a thumbnail. FIG. 25 is a sequence diagram thatillustrates a process to generate and upload a thumbnail.

As illustrated in FIG. 25, the user A uses the communication terminal 3a to select the image data that is to be downloaded, and then theoperation input receiving unit 32 of the communication terminal 3 areceives a selection of the image data to be downloaded (Step S21).Thus, the storage/read unit 39 reads the image ID of the selected imagedata from the storage unit 3000.

The transmitting and receiving unit 31 of the communication terminal 3 athen transmits, to the image management system 5 via the communicationnetwork 9, the image ID of the image data to be requested, therebyrequesting the image (Step S22). Thus, the transmitting and receivingunit 51 of the image management system 5 receives the image ID.

Next, the storage/read unit 59 of the image management system 5 searchesthe image management table (see FIG. 19) by using the image ID receivedat Step S22 as a search key so as to extract the file name of thecorresponding image data and also reads the image data that has the filename from the storage unit 5000 (Step S23).

The transmitting and receiving unit 51 then transmits, to thecommunication terminal 3 a via the communication network 9, the imagedata read at the above-described Step S23 and the image ID received atthe above-described Step S22 (Step S24). Thus, the transmitting andreceiving unit 31 of the communication terminal 3 a receives the imagedata and the image ID, whereby the download of the image data iscompleted. In this situation, the communication terminal 3 a stilldisplays the predetermined-area image (the partial image P₀) illustratedin FIG. 10(b) by default.

The operation input receiving unit 32 of the communication terminal 3 areceives an operation from the user A, and thus the display control unit33 changes the predetermined-area image (the partial image P₀)illustrated in FIG. 10(b) to the predetermined-area image (the partialimage P₁) illustrated in FIG. 11 (Step S25). At that time, the operationinput receiving unit 32 receives an input of the comment (e.g., “theimage of the first building”) from the user and also receives a requestto display the predetermined-area image illustrated in FIG. 11 bydefault (Step S25).

Next, the transmitting and receiving unit 31 transmits, to the imagemanagement system 5 via the communication network 9, the image ID, thepredetermined-area information indicating the partial image P₁, thecomment, and the user ID so as to instruct the image management system 5to post the link information (Step S26). Thus, the transmitting andreceiving unit 51 of the image management system 5 receives the imageID, the predetermined-area information indicating the partial image P₁,the comment, and the user ID.

The storage/read unit 59 then searches the image management table (seeFIG. 19) by using the image ID received at Step S26 as a search key soas to extract the file name of the corresponding image data and thenread the image data from the storage unit 5000 by using the file name(Step S27). The thumbnail generation unit 53 generates thumbnail datafrom the predetermined area T of the image data as illustrated in FIGS.9 to 12 by using the image data read at Step S27 and the predeterminedarea T indicated by the predetermined-area information received at StepS26 (Step S28).

The identification-information assignment unit 52 then assigns thumbnailID to the thumbnail data generated at Step S28 and attaches thethumbnail ID to the header section of the thumbnail data (Step S29). Thestorage/read unit 59 then stores, in the thumbnail management table (seeFIG. 20), the thumbnail ID assigned at Step S29, the image ID receivedat Step S26, and the thumbnail data generated at Step S28 in relation toone another for management (Step S30).

The link-information generation unit 54 then links the URL of the imagedata indicated by the image ID received at Step S26, the image IDreceived at Step S26, and the predetermined-area information received atStep S26, thereby generating the link information illustrated in FIG. 13(Step S31).

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 26, of a processto upload a thumbnail and link information. FIG. 26 is a sequencediagram that illustrates a process to upload a thumbnail and linkinformation.

First, the transmitting and receiving unit 51 of the image managementsystem 5 transmits, to the link-information management system 7 via thecommunication network 9, the link information that is generated at theabove-described Step S31 and the comment and the user ID that arereceived at the above-described Step S26 so as to request thelink-information management system 7 to post the link information (StepS41). Thus, the transmitting and receiving unit 71 of thelink-information management system 7 receives the link information, thecomment, and the user ID.

The storage/read unit 79 of the link-information management system 7then stores the user ID, the link information, and the comment, whichare received at the above-described Step S41, in relation to one anotherfor management in the posted-data management table (see FIG. 23) (StepS42). In this situation, the link-information management system 7 doesnot manage thumbnail data. Therefore, the transmitting and receivingunit 71 accesses the image management system 5 that is indicated by theURL included in the link information so as to request the URL of thethumbnail data (Step S43). Thus, the transmitting and receiving unit 51of the image management system 5 receives the request for the URL of thethumbnail data.

Next, the transmitting and receiving unit 51 of the image managementsystem 5 transmits the URL of the thumbnail data to the link-informationmanagement system 7 via the communication network 9 (Step S44). Thus,the transmitting and receiving unit 71 of the link-informationmanagement system 7 receives the URL of the thumbnail data.

The transmitting and receiving unit 71 of the link-informationmanagement system 7 accesses the image management system 5 that isindicated by the URL of the thumbnail data so as to request thumbnaildata (Step S45). Thus, the transmitting and receiving unit 51 of theimage management system 5 receives the request for the thumbnail data.

The transmitting and receiving unit 51 of the image management system 5then transmits the thumbnail data to the link-information managementsystem 7 via the communication network 9 (Step S46). Thus, thetransmitting and receiving unit 71 of the link-information managementsystem 7 receives the thumbnail data. The storage/read unit 79additionally stores the file name of the thumbnail data received at theabove-described Step S46 in the empty field section for the file name ofthe thumbnail data in the posted-data management table (see FIG. 23) andalso stores the thumbnail data in the storage unit 7000 for management(Step S47).

Next, an explanation is given, with reference to FIG. 27, of a processto download image data. FIG. 27 is a sequence diagram that illustrates aprocess to download image data.

First, the communication terminal 3 b transmits the user ID of the userB and the password to the link-information management system 7 via thecommunication network 9 so as to request login (Step S51). Thus, thelink-information management system 7 receives the user ID of the user Band the password.

The storage/read unit 79 of the link-information management system 7then determines whether the user ID and the password, which aretransmitted at the above-described Step S51, are managed in the usermanagement table (see FIG. 21) so as to perform user authentication(Step S52). If it is determined that, as a result of the authentication,the same pair is managed and the user B is an authenticated user, thestorage/read unit 79 searches the related-person management table (seeFIG. 22) by using the user ID of the user B as a search key so as toread the user ID of the corresponding related person (Step S53).

Next, the posting-view generation unit 72 generates the posting-viewscreen illustrated in FIG. 14 (Step S54). Here, an explanation is givenof a method of generating the posting-view screen. First, thestorage/read unit 79 searches the user management table (see FIG. 21) byusing the user ID (the user ID of the user A) read at theabove-described Step S53 as a search key so as to read the file name ofthe corresponding user image data and the user personal information.Furthermore, the storage/read unit 79 searches the posted-datamanagement table (see FIG. 23) by using the above-described user ID (theuser ID of the user A) as a search key so as to read the correspondinglink information, the file name of the thumbnail data, and the comment.Moreover, the file name of the user image data and the user personalinformation are read. The posting-view generation unit 72 generates theposting-view screen 3200 illustrated in FIG. 14. On the posting-viewscreen 3200, the user image 3210 is generated by using the image dataindicated by the file name of the user image in the user managementtable (see FIG. 21). Furthermore, the “user A” 3220 is generated byusing the user name indicated by the user personal information in theuser management table (see FIG. 21). Moreover, the thumbnail 3230 isgenerated by using the thumbnail indicated by the file name of thethumbnail data in the posted-data management table (see FIG. 23). The“image of the first building” 3240 is generated by using the comment inthe posted-data management table (see FIG. 23). The above-described linkinformation is embedded in the thumbnail 3220 and the comment of “theimage of the first building” 3240, and hyperlinks are attached thereto.

The transmitting and receiving unit 71 of the link-informationmanagement system 7 then transmits, to the communication terminal 3 bvia the communication network 9, the data on the posting-view screengenerated at Step S54 (Step S55). Thus, the transmitting and receivingunit 31 of the communication terminal 3 b receives the data on theposting-view screen. The display 315 of the communication terminal 3 bthen presents the posting-view screen illustrated in FIG. 14. As thedisplay 315 presents the thumbnail of the predetermined-area image (thepartial image P₁) illustrated in FIG. 11 instead of the thumbnail of thepredetermined-area image (the partial image P₀) illustrated in FIG.10(b), the user B is able to easily determine whether the image data isto be downloaded.

Next, the operation input receiving unit 32 of the communicationterminal 3 b receives, from the user B, a press of the thumbnail 3230 orthe comment of “the image of the first building” 3240 on theposting-view screen 3200, thereby receiving a selection of the linkinformation (Step S56).

The transmitting and receiving unit 31 then transmits, to the imagemanagement system 5 via the communication network 9, the linkinformation (see FIG. 13) selected at the above-described Step S56 so asto request the image data (Step S57). Thus, the transmitting andreceiving unit 51 of the image management system 5 receives the linkinformation.

The extraction unit 55 then extracts the image ID and thepredetermined-area information from the link information received at theabove-described Step S57 (Step S58). The storage/read unit 59 searchesthe image management table (see FIG. 19) by using the image ID extractedat Step S58 as a search key so as to extract the file name of thecorresponding image data and also reads the image data that has the filename from the storage unit 5000 (Step S59).

The transmitting and receiving unit 51 then transmits, to thecommunication terminal 3 b via the communication network 9, the imagedata read at Step S59 and the image ID and the predetermined-areainformation extracted from the link information at Step S58 (Step S60).Thus, the transmitting and receiving unit 31 of the communicationterminal 3 b receives the image data, the image ID, and thepredetermined-area information.

As illustrated in FIG. 11, the display control unit 33 of thecommunication terminal 3 b then generates and displays thepredetermined-area image (the partial image P₁) from the predeterminedarea T of the image data by using the image data and thepredetermined-area information received at Step S60 (Step S61).

Principal Advantage of the Present Embodiment

As described above, in the present embodiment, the image managementsystem 5 transmits, to the communication terminal 3 b, not only theimage data but also the predetermined-area information that indicatesthe predetermined area T in the image data. Thus, it is possible tochange the predetermined-area image that is set by default to be a localimage around the center of the composition obtained when captured by adigital camera, or the like. Thus, an advantage is produced such thatthe user A is able to initially show to the user B the local image towhich the user A pays attention or which is a recommended sight.

Additional Notes of the Embodiment

In the above-described embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 13, the linkinformation includes the URL that indicates the location of the imagemanagement system 5 in the communication network 9; however, this is nota limitation. For example, the link information may not include the URLand may be indicated by using the image ID and the predetermined-areainformation only. In this case, a user operates the communicationterminal 3 to input the URL.

The image management system 5 and the link-information management system7 according to the above-described embodiment may be configured by usinga single computer or may be configured by using a plurality of computersto which each unit (function, means, or storage unit) is separated andassigned arbitrarily.

Furthermore, a recording medium, such as a CD-ROM, that stores eachprogram according to the above-described embodiment or the HD 504 thatstores the program may be provided as a program product in the countryand overseas.

As described above, according to the present invention, the imagemanagement system transmits, to the first communication terminal, notonly the image data but also the predetermined-area information thatindicates the predetermined area in the image data. Thus, it is possibleto change the predetermined-area image that is set, by default, to be alocal image around the center of the composition that is obtained whencaptured by a digital camera, or the like. Thus, an advantage isproduced such that the user who uploads the image is able to initiallyshow to another user the local image to which the user pays attention orwhich is a recommended sight.

Although the invention has been described with respect to specificembodiments for a complete and clear disclosure, the appended claims arenot to be thus limited but are to be construed as embodying allmodifications and alternative constructions that may occur to oneskilled in the art that fairly fall within the basic teaching herein setforth.

What is claimed is:
 1. An image management system that communicates witha first communication terminal and a second communication terminal via acommunication network, the image management system comprising: acommunication interface configured to receive, from the secondcommunication terminal, image data and predetermined-area informationthat indicates a predetermined area in the image data based on an angleof view which originates at the center of a virtual sphere, the imagedata being a fully spherical panoramic image corresponding to a Mercatorimage being attached to an inner surface of a virtual sphere and thepredetermined area in the image data being selected by a user of thesecond communication terminal and being a portion of the fully sphericalpanoramic image; a memory configured to store the image data andpredetermined area information received from the second communicationterminal; and processing circuitry configured to generate linkinformation that includes image identification information foridentifying the image data and identification information of thepredetermined-area information, wherein the link information isthereafter provided to the first communication terminal; wherein thecommunication interface configured to receive, from the firstcommunication terminal, the link information; and the communicationinterface is configured to transmit, to the first communicationterminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identificationinformation included in the received link information and thepredetermined-area information included in the link information, whereinthe predetermined-area information causes the first communicationterminal to display the predetermined area selected by the user of thesecond communication terminal as a zoomed in portion of the overallimage data from which the user of the first communication terminalperforms input operations to view other portions of the image datasurrounding the predetermined area.
 2. The image management systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the communication interface transmits thelink information generated by the processing circuitry to the firstcommunication terminal.
 3. The image management system according toclaim 2, the processing circuitry being configured to generate thumbnaildata from the predetermined area in the image data by using the imagedata indicated by the image identification information received by thecommunication interface and the predetermined area indicated by thepredetermined-area information, wherein the communication interfacetransmits, to the first communication terminal, the thumbnail datagenerated by the processing circuitry.
 4. The image management systemaccording to claim 2, wherein the processing circuitry generates thelink information that includes specific information for identifying alocation of the image management system in the communication network aswell as the image identification information and the predetermined-areainformation.
 5. The image management system according to claim 2,wherein the communication interface receives, from the secondcommunication terminal, comment data with regard to the image data aswell as the image identification information and the predetermined-areainformation, and the communication interface transmits, to the firstcommunication terminal, the comment data as well as the linkinformation.
 6. The image management system according to claim 2,wherein the communication interface receives, from the secondcommunication terminal, user identification information for identifyinga user who uses the second communication terminal as well as the imageidentification information and the predetermined-area information, andthe communication interface transmits, to the first communicationterminal, the user identification information as well as the linkinformation.
 7. The image management system according to claim 1,wherein the processing circuitry is configured to read the image datafrom the memory on the basis of the image identification informationincluded in the link information received by the communicationinterface, wherein the communication interface transmits, to the firstcommunication terminal, the image data read by the processing circuitryas the image data that is indicated by the image identificationinformation included in the link information.
 8. An image managementmethod performed by an image management system that communicates with afirst communication terminal and a second communication terminal via acommunication network, the image management method comprising: receivingfrom the second communication terminal, image data andpredetermined-area information that indicates a predetermined area inthe image data based on an angle of view which originates at the centerof a virtual sphere, the image data being a fully spherical panoramicimage corresponding to a Mercator image being attached to an innersurface of a virtual sphere and the predetermined area in the image databeing selected by a user of the second communication terminal and beinga portion of the fully spherical panoramic image; storing, in a memory,the image data and predetermined area information received from thesecond communication terminal; generating link information that includesimage identification information for identifying the image data andidentification information of the predetermined-area information,wherein the link information is thereafter provided to the firstcommunication terminal; receiving the link information from the firstcommunication terminal; and transmitting, to the first communicationterminal, the image data that is indicated by the image identificationinformation included in the received link information and thepredetermined-area information included in the link information, whereinthe predetermined-area information causes the first communicationterminal to display the predetermined area selected by the user of thesecond communication terminal as a zoomed in portion of the overallimage data from which the user of the first communication terminalperforms input operations to view other portions of the image datasurrounding the predetermined area.
 9. A non-transitorycomputer-readable medium that contains a computer program that, whenexecuted by an image management system that communicates with a firstcommunication terminal and a second communication terminal via acommunication network, causes the image management system to performoperations comprising: receiving from the second communication terminal,image data and predetermined-area information that indicates apredetermined area in the image data based on an angle of view whichoriginates at the center of a virtual sphere, the image data being afully spherical panoramic image corresponding to a Mercator image beingattached to an inner surface of a virtual sphere and the predeterminedarea in the image data being selected by a user of the secondcommunication terminal and being a portion of the fully sphericalpanoramic image; storing, in a memory, the image data and predeterminedarea information received from the second communication terminal;generating link information that includes image identificationinformation for identifying the image data and identificationinformation of the predetermined-area information, wherein the linkinformation is thereafter provided to the first communication terminal;receiving the link information from the first communication terminal;and transmitting, to the first communication terminal, the image datathat is indicated by the image identification information included inthe received link information and the predetermined-area informationincluded in the link information, wherein the predetermined-areainformation causes the first communication terminal to display thepredetermined area selected by the user of the second communicationterminal as a zoomed in portion of the overall image data from which theuser of the first communication terminal performs input operations toview other portions of the image data surrounding the predeterminedarea.